Benjamin Franklin

Rating:
Summary: A True Gem
Review: Benjamin Franklin is an impressive production about an amazing person - in the Ken Burns tradition, but better.

Rating:
Summary: FANTASTIC BIO!
Review: Not only does this documentary keeps you interested, it brings it to life with wonderful acting. The script is based on all of the letters from Franklin makes this a great dvd to own because of it's uniqueness. There are times as if Ben himself was speaking to the camera, and there are moments that will have you laughing, OUT LOUD! Great perspective on a man who we know but at the same time we do not know enough (for example, out of all the "founding fathers" he was the only one who was against slavery). A great job!

Rating:
Summary: Of Course It Won an EMMY AWARD
Review: This is a superbly entertaining documentary capturing the brilliance, boldness, and bawdiness of Ben Franklin. It covers Franklin's rise to wealth as a businessman who, among other things, established perhaps the first organization for young entrepeneurs to network. It chronicles his role as a scientist (experimenting with electricity) and inventor (e.g., the Franklin stove and bifocals). Then we see how Franklin's role as diplomat helped secure the American colonies' success in freeing themselves from British rule. This documentary captures both Franklin's genius and his impishness. Franklin was a shrewd strategist who achieved his aims through calculation, perseverance, and a nimble wit. Not the typical marble statue portrayal of one of our founding fathers, "Benjamin Franklin," shows the real flesh and blood character of Franklin who was nothing if not colorful.

Rating:
Summary: Fabulous Documentary - Entertaining and Informative
Review: This is one of my favorite documentaries to date. The acting is top notch for the young Franklin, the elder Franklin, and others in Franklin's life. Re-enactments and unique footage fill the majority of scenes instead of musty paintings or drawings. The whole documentary has a fresh and witty feel.

What impressed me most, though, was how clearly and informatively the documentary sets out the life of Franklin, his character, and his effect on early America and the world. Not only is he revealed as a genius and a founding father, he is shown as a humorous man and the quintessential American. Franklin displays all the unique traits that define the American character, from the refusal to accept social status as fixed by birth to the constant search for scientific truths.

Two parts, both excellent. The documentary should have great appeal to any age with even the vaguest interest in American history.